


A Matter of Time

by Sorrowchan



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Gen, pre-cobra unit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-26 18:23:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3859999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorrowchan/pseuds/Sorrowchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before the unit he spent time as a lab rat, then as a mental case, and then as a number locked away, forgotten by the world outside. But at least he had one companion, even they didn't always get along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Matter of Time

**Author's Note:**

> Huge warnings for mentions of self harm and suicide. As in that's the entire thing.

_Tick._

_Tock._

_Tick._

The clock was his only companion in his room. It talked constantly, day and night, counting every second he spent in his nice white cell. Sometimes he hated it, sometimes he spoke to it like it was a person, someone very interested in hearing what he had to say, and sometimes he forgot it was there altogether.

Right now he hated it.

As much as he wanted to, he just couldn't sleep, and that stupid clock was a constant reminder of it. _Tick._ Ten minutes. _Tock._ Thirty minutes. _Tick._ An hour. _Tock._ Two. And on and on and on. 

While he knew full well the clock couldn't really talk, only sit there and count off every passing moment, all he sleep deprived mind could hear was it taunting him, putting emphasis on every little syllable. 

__

_Look at you_ , it said, _you're a pathetic little mouse trapped in a cage and you don't even care._

"Of course I care," he muttered defensively, not caring that it was to himself, "there's just nothing I can do about it."

__

_You could ask to leave. Or run away. Or hang yourself from your bedsheet. But you're too scared to do anything, aren't you?_

He didn't reply. 

__

_You can't even argue_ , it laughed, _you know I'm right. It's not hard, you know how to tie a noose, don't you?_

"I don't want to."

__

_Why?_

It took a second for him to remember why. "My brother would be upset if I did."

The clock hit three and scoffed at him. _Your brother? You honestly believe he still cares about you? How sad._

"Shut up," he said weakly.

_Why? Don't want to admit it to yourself? Come on, don't be stupid. It's been what, six, seven years? He's forgotten all about you. Sure hasn't cared enough to try and find you, has he?_

"Maybe he has, I wouldn't know, neither would you, so shut up."

_Well, let me fill you in: he hasn't. No ones tried to find you or get you out of here because no one cares about you. You don't even care about you._

The sound of the hand ticking away was deafening.

_You could die right now and nobody would notice. In fact, I bet that'd be helpful. One less mouth to feed in this hell hole, right? Go on, drag your sorry ass up and -_

"I told you to shut _UP._ " 

With a sudden burst of energy he sprung out of his bed, reached for the clock, and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall and the glass cover shattered, the sound of the pieces falling to the floor satisfying him greatly. 

There was quiet for a moment, filled only by his breathing, and finally he thought he would have peace.

Then he heard it again.

__

_Tick._

_You thought that would work?You only broke the cover, idiot._

_Tock._

_Now you have all this glass, though. Is that what you wanted? To rip your arms up and bleed out? Messy, but it'd get the job done._

_Tick._

_Where are you going now? Don't ignore me._

He crawled back into bed and pulled the covers up over his face, determined to block out the noise. Real or not, it was wrong, it was stupid, and he wasn't going to talk to it anymore.

And it did keep talking. All night long, even after he had managed to find sleep. It would probably keep talking in the morning too, and the next day, and the next. It wouldn't ever shut up unless he ripped out the batteries, which, although tempting, would leave him in silence. 

He'd rather listen to the sound than nothing at all.

__

_Tick._

_Tock._

_Tick._


End file.
